The Problem
by Avah
Summary: Draco has been acting very odd lately. Lucius asks Snape to find out what's wrong. Chapter two is now up.
1. The Problem

Authors Note: I am sick. My throat feels like someone stuck a knife in it and twisted it into my esophagus. I am very cold despite the three thick woolen blankets that are heaped onto me. Yes, I have a fever. I am also very bored.

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"You wanted to see me?" Snape said allowing his guest to sit down.

"Yes, it's about Draco." Said Lucius Malfoy sitting in the office chair. "He's was acting strange Christmas Break and his grades are going down."

Snape noticed that Draco was acting a little odd also. Yesterday in potions class he looked very uncomfortable when Snape made eye contact with him.

"I was wondering if you could clear things up. Has he been doing anything different lately?" Lucius asked taking the cup of tea Snape gave him.

"Not to my knowledge, but I have noticed his different attitude towards things." Snape said. "_Such as me for example._" He thought. 

"His marks are unacceptable. I have told him either he works harder or he will not be attending the trip to Greece this summer, that is, if it's alright with you." Lucius said.

"_Alright with me?_" Snape thought confused.

 "I would ask what was troubling him, but as you can see…you're probably best for that sort of thing."

"_Damn these parent-teacher conferences._" Thought Snape. "I will keep you updated on the outcome of your son Lucius."

"Thank you." Lucius said politely getting out of his chair. "Oh by the way, I will be hosting a dinner party on my estate on the 5th. If you came I would be most delighted. I'm sure Draco would appreciate it as well. Perhaps it would cheer him up; he has much to be sorry for if his grades don't go up."

"I'll be sure to attend." Snape said as Lucius walked out the door. 

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            To say Draco looked nervous was an understatement not to be taken lightly. He looked like he was about to fall to pieces. Snape was hit with a pang of sympathy just looking at the poor boy. Somehow Draco reminded him of Longbottom. 

            "Everyone get your ingredients ready. You will be working in groups of two." Snape said pleased that the number of students was odd. "This is a very difficult potion, if any of you are mess it up the consequences could be serious, which is why I will be picking groups."

            "_That's right Potter, I'm picking groups you little prat_."  Snape thought looking at Harry's disappointed face. "Longbottom, you're working with Granger. I think that would decrease the chances of us getting killed by half." 

            The Slytherin class laughed and jeered, that is, everyone but Draco.

            "_This might be more serious than I thought._" 

            Snape continued to pair off people, making sure that Draco's name was not said. 

            "Alright everyone, start making your potions. You have half an hour." Snape announced to the class. Everyone was busily working while a single, timid hand rose into the air.

            "Yes Draco?" Asked Snape pretending to be surprised.

            "Sir…I don't have a partner." 

            "Hmmm, indeed you don't. Well this potion is too difficult to work by yourself, and it's too important for you not to do it…" Snape said what he was rehearsing that morning. "And if you were added into a group it'd only complicate things."

            Draco looked a bit frustrated with the position he had been put in. He caught eye contact with Harry, and sneered at him.   
            "_I thought you were his favorite_." Harry's facial expression revealed.

            "I don't suppose it would hurt if I helped you out with your potion Draco." Snape said. 

The class looked up curiously as Draco smirked at them. 

"Of course he'd get Snape as a partner." Ron whispered bitterly to Harry across the room.

Snape hovered to his worktable as Draco strutted after him.

"_Alright Lucius, I casually got him alone with me. Now how the hell do you want me to ask the boy what's wrong?_" Snape thought as Draco was still flashing smiles to the class.

"So how's school?" Snape asked chopping fire lily roots.

"Not too difficult, thank you Professor Snape." Draco replied taking his time to put some gloves on. 

"I got an owl from your father." 

Draco stiffened suddenly.

"He said you were going to Greece this summer," Said Snape. " depending on how good your grades were."  

Draco relaxed slightly, but stiffly started working on his potion. There was a gap of silence for a good ten minutes.

"Professor Snape, can I ask you an honest question?" Draco asked.

"_Thank God I'm finally getting somewhere_." Snape thought. "What is it Draco?"

"Have you ever…uh…lied to someone so you could get out of something? And that someone almost found out?" 

"_What an odd question. He cannot possibly believe I don't know he's referring to himself. Perhaps he want's me to know…._" 

"Is there something you wish to tell me Draco?" Snape asked in a hushed voice.

"Uh…well…yes. You know about that trip to Greece my father promised me?" 

"Yes, what about it?"

"Well I don't want to go. Which is why I lied to him and told him that…you needed me to do a project with you the same week we were supposed to leave." 

It took a while for Snape to register what Draco had said. 

"_Why would Lucius believe I needed a 16 year old boy to complete a project?_" Thought Snape. "_Because Lucius thinks his Draco is the sun and moon. All reason flees in the comparison of a Malfoy._" Said a little voice in Snape's head.

"I tried getting bad grades, but after all the nagging from father I figured lying was better." Draco explained. 

"Why don't you want to go to Greece?" Snape asked.

"I went to Greece last year, and all I did was stay in a hotel for a week while father worked. It was boring. Not to mention all the stupid touring mother made me do. And now mother and father thinks I'm going to be with you for a week."

Snape smirked at the comical situation.

"I don't suppose it would be best if Lucius found out about this. Perhaps I could arrange something for us to do during the week so you will not be bored." 

"Thanks Professor." Draco said looking as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders.

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"So…did you find out what was wrong with him?" Lucius asked Snape.

"It really was nothing, just a rash." Snape said sounding nonchalant.

"A rash?" asked Malfoy raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, he tried everything for it to go away. It was irritating him, so I made a potion and he's fine now."

"Well I'm happy to see his grades going up. Thank you very much Severus."

"A pleasure." 

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Authors Note:  Now my nose is stuffy and I need a shower. My dog seems to like sleeping on the carpet. Yeah…so I hope you liked the fic.


	2. Malfoy's Party

Author's Note: Uh…when I wrote the first chapter, I didn't mean there to be a second one. I guess I gave everyone the wrong impression. You see, I stopped writing chapters because I am the _absolute worst_ when it comes to updating. So I only wrote the first chapter thinking that was it. Lucky you. 

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            "Good Evening Severus." Lucius said handing the professor a wine glass. "I'm so glad you came…."

            "I was not as busy as expected." Snape said helping himself to the drink. In all honestly he needed it. Snape was beginning to think that the party was for _Death Eaters_ when he saw a few grim, old classmates hanging outside the Malfoy's Mansion. 

            "I would like it if you sat next to me at dinner." Lucius said carelessly. 

            Snape drank the alcohol faster. There were all kinds of bad that could be interpreted in that sentence. The sudden favor from a Malfoy was dangerous, however, Snape did not detect any hostility behind the statement, which worried him. However, Snape remained calm and collected.

            "Draco has been telling me so many things about you. I've always known you were just the sort that I wanted my son to learn from. I admit I'm not home enough to be a proper example of the man I want my son to grow into." Lucius said to Snape while smiling and greeting other people around the house. "Although, I have to talk to you about something very important in private."

            "_Be careful of the flatterer._" Was the only thing that echoed through Snape's mind as Lucius led him into an empty room.

            "You know what I admire about you Severus?" Lucius said now they were alone in what looked like a library.  
            "I haven't the slightest clue Lucius." Snape said cursing himself for not bringing his wand. 

            "You're not a suck up. Do you know how many wizard families there are that would just _kill_ to get my favor? They practically grovel at my feet. It's such a pathetic thing to watch. You've never put me in that position Severus. I've never seen you as weak."

            Snape noted that Malfoy was smiling, but not very pleasantly. 

            "_Is he threatening me? Or is he really complementing me?_" Snape thought. "_DAMN MALFOY'S!!! WHAT DOES HE WANT ME TO SAY!?!?!_"

            "However…you are a true Slytherin. I know you have been lying to me. I'll leave it up to you to tell me the truth." Lucius said sitting on a desk. 

            "_He's playing a game with me._" Snape thought to himself. He'd seen Draco act just like this to Potter a couple of times. Thank goodness the wine had not made Snape dim-witted, he had experience in manipulation also.   

            "Oh Lucius, I'm happy I could be the one to clear up your misunderstanding." Snape said with a smirk on his face. 

            "I'm so glad. Please don't leave out any details."

            Snape did not panic. There were only two things that Lucius could have thought he was lying about: Draco or his loyalty to Voldemort. 

            " I didn't want to embarrass the boy and I promised I would not tell you the real reason he was upset." Snape said. "However, you need not worry because I am helping him through it. Undoubtly you have the same silky white skin that Draco has. I didn't think that the rash idea would work very long, especially since it is easy to see that no rash could possibly touch a Malfoy."

            Lucius burst into one of those unpleasant smiles.

"Thank you Severus, that was all I wanted to know. It's amazing what one can find out if you ask someone the simple truth. You would be surprised how many people I've talk to that nearly collapse into pieces."

"_I can only imagine._"  Snape thought. 

"I hope you enjoy yourself. I have some business to attend to, I'll see you at dinner." 

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Snape leaned on the stone wall that surrounded the garden. He didn't even know that so many pureblood wizard aristocrats existed, but there they were in the Malfoy's house, garden, libraries, kitchen, dining room, ballroom- Malfoy couldn't have known that many people. They were all drinking and eating light snacks as they socialized. Snape hated socializing and grew bored. If it wasn't for Lucius and the wine, he'd of left already. 

            Snape checked his watch.

            "Ten minutes until dinner. Who knows what they've killed and cooked tonight." Snape said to himself grimly. He thought of how skinny Draco was and wondered what his diet was when he was not at Hogwarts. "Things could have gone worse…." He said drinking the bottom of his third glass of wine.

            There was a long table in the dining room that had forty chairs; nineteen on each side. Lucius was sitting at the end drinking; Draco was sitting on the end of the right side of the table. Snape noticed there was a nametag on all the plates.

            Most everyone was seated and Snape walked steadily to his seat giving Draco a small bow of acknowledgement. Draco, Snape noticed, was also drinking a glass of wine.

            "Dinner will be ready shortly." Lucius said. "Would you like some more wine?" 

            "No, I already had three glasses." Said Snape staring at all the silverware. He was trying to remember how to use them all. "That's a lot of eating utensils. How many courses are we having?"

            "The best way to remember what you use is to know that we always use the outside silverware and work our way in. And the desert fork is always the one placed above your plate." Draco said. Lucius smirked at Snape and raised an eyebrow as to say "Well look at that, the boy know's how to eat".

            "I think I'll be having that drink now." Snape said in return of Lucius' gesture. 

            Servants were bringing food to the table and my goodness; there was a lot of food. Snape noted not to eat at all before he was invited to the Malfoy's estate for dinner. 

            "Have you ever tried Griffin Professor?" Draco said as a servant put a slab of meat on Snape's plate. The professor could not hide how immensely amused he was.  

            "Griffin? We're eating Griffin?" Snape asked with a smile. "Why no, I've never tried it. But I'm looking forward to it." 

            Griffin meat proved to be a tender and very easy meat to swallow. 

            "Those stupid Gryffindor git's would cry if they knew half the dumb animals we cook here every week." Draco said absorbed in his gleeful malice. "Don't you think we have a better chance to win the House Cup this year?"

            "Of course. I am making sure that the Headmaster knows that no more points can be given to Potter for the sake of favoritism." Snape said.  

            "My third year was so bogus, when he gave Gryffindor all those points after we won!" Draco said sneering. 

            Lucius was too busy cutting up his meat into tiny squares to participate in the conversation. Snape guessed his perfect teeth were better for showing off then grinding.         

            "How am I supposed to cut with a dull knife- who was in charge of sharpening the knives?" Lucius was muttering to himself, cutting with a perfectly sharp knife.  

            The night really went by smoothly. Draco got really sleepy after his second glass of wine and went to bed after dinner. Lucius had not talked to Snape during dinner, except to complement him on his leadership skills in Slytherin. However, Lucius had invited Snape over again on the weekend. Snape felt a bit uncomfortable at the openness that Lucius expressed to him. If Lucius was still a Death Eater…. Snape didn't want to think about the sort of things Lucius was trying to get him into.

            Snape remembered Lucius' parting words to him, " I want you to come over. We can talk, and I want to show you something."

            "_Those words could mean so many different things._" Snape thought. He only hoped they weren't bad…

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Authors Note: Like everything I write, I wrote this chapter not knowing what I was going to write. I don't even know what's going to happen next. I suppose you've trapped me into writing another chapter. But actually this is interesting enough that I will feel like writing one. Sorry there wasn't a lot of Draco, but I promise the next chapter will have more Draco then Lucius. That is if you like the way things are going now and don't care… 

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	3. The Plot Slightly Thickens

Authors Note: Sorry I took so long updating, in fact, I wasn't sure I was going to update at all. But look at me now, writing and everything. 

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Snape was secretly glad that it was Tuesday. The weekend was a ways away; he still had plenty of time to dwell on Lucius' proposal. 

However, Tuesday meant two hours with the Gryffindors and the Slytherins.

"_Damn."_ Snape cursed looking up at the clock. They were going to file in any second now. He prepared himself for the worst.

A hurricane of voices filled the room and Snape had to shoot a few glares to get them to shut up. Snape caught Harry's eye and didn't stop himself from his usual sneer.

"All of you get your notes out. Now." Snape snapped. 

Everyone hastily shuffled through their book bags as Snape started writing on the blackboard.  

"We are going to make, or with some people attempt, to make a bilingual potion."

Neville's face went pink 

"It is very useful when entering places that you cannot speak the language." Snape said. "Here are the things you will need to make it. Don't waste time. Get started. This is a major part of your grade."

"Doesn't he say that about every potion?" Ron whispered to Harry. 

Harry nodded with a grin as Hermione smirked.

Annoyed, Snape floated up behind the trio to have a vindictive word with them.

"Hey Harry, can I barrow your scales for a minute? Dean Thomas asked.

Snape was in fact, at the wrong place at the wrong time. Harry didn't bother looking in back of him as he grabbed his scale to pass to Dean. In a swift strong motion Harry whipped his arm in back of his seat and hit the professor right in the-

"OOF!" was the sound that Harry heard instead of the usual thank you from Dean Thomas. 

"Holy crap! Potter struck the professor." Draco shouted obnoxiously.

Harry turned around only to see Dean's shocked but amused face. Then he realized everyone was looking down just in back of his seat.

Onto this day Ron swore that he had seen fire reflected in Snape's eyes. He was crumpled up in a black robed mess on the stone floor. A growl of intense hatred escaped from his lips and reverberated through Harry's ears.

            "Potter's going to get expelled." Draco said in a singsong voice.

            "Don't be ridiculous, it was an accident." Hermione reassured the room. 

            Snape slowly pushed himself off the floor. Harry had the sudden desire to run.

            "Get out of my classroom Potter. Before I do something we both regret." Snape said with all of his loathing accented thickly in his voice.

            Harry didn't need to be told twice. In the blink of an eye he was already out the door. He didn't bother taking his things with him. 

            "What are you all staring at!? Get back to your work!" Snape screamed at the classroom. 

            "Oh yes, and 50 points from Gryffindor for the assault on a teacher. Tell Potter he has a months worth of detentions from me." Snape said as he sat at his desk chair.

            Draco smiled smugly at Ron's outraged face. 

            "Well Sir, I must say I am for one not the least bit shocked at Potter's behavior. I wouldn't have put it past him to willingly strike you in such a vulgar manner." Draco said loudly.

            Hermione literally had to hold Ron back as he was too angry to say anything. However, his actions were clearly expressed. 

            "Thank you for your concern Draco, it's pleasant to know that I am not imagining his serious behavior problems." Said Snape. 

            Hermione had calmed down Ron, but there was no mistaking the anger written on his face. The whole Gryffindor side of the room was silent for the rest of the class. The Slytherins occasionally chuckled at their sullen classmates.

            Snape was still a bit sore, but managed to maintain his dignity to answer the knocking at the door.

            "Severus, I want to talk to you." Dumbledore said seriously.

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Authors Note: Yes I realize the lack of Lucius and Draco in the story, but I really didn't write it. I just wrote whatever came to my mind. You can blame my brain. 


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